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Forums - Discs & Movies - Just a thought...what do you think??

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I told you this is going to happen!! We have already seen the unprecedented amount of fast announcements of the major blockbuster movies going straight to DVD/Video within three/ four months!! Think Stealth, Charlie & Chocolate Factory, Monster In-Law, etc.

Now, I think this is not only good for us consumers who come out as the winners in the market, but I feel that it will drive out the idiots who produce pirated copies of movies when us consumers know the movies we want will most likely be released within months, if not weeks!

Quote: Originally posted by Elizabeth Hoff There's nothing that I've really wanted to see recently (I'm sorry ... but it's going to take more than a long stream of jokes about flatulence to get ME into the theatre. )You mean tht you actually want movie with a story line Elizabeth?? Wonders will never cease! A movie with a story! (Hey, forgive the crappy sarcasim but it's midnight here and I still have 7 hours left on shift).

Maybe the studios will realise that the dollar doesn't flow with really stupid movies....

Quote: Originally posted by Mark Lim You're not the one who's wearing hearing aids! They really help me alot to follow the movie, even if this is the second time watching it after the cinema. My mom is now quiet and only talks after the movie. Shit, I'm sorry. I didn't read that part

I think I would go to movies more if the previews really were a preview and not an orchestrated sale in itself. They don't give enough representation of the storyline, if any, of the movie. Scenes are quick 1 or 2 second blurbs cut and pasted into some type of representation of the movie, generally taken out of context.

Movies that don't make it big in the theaters are released on DVD sooner than blockbusters, from what I have judged.

You're not the one who's wearing hearing aids! They really help me alot to follow the movie, even if this is the second time watching it after the cinema. My mom is now quiet and only talks after the movie.

Quote: Originally posted by Mark Lim I agree. I like the dvd at home better than the cinema. Because of my small hearing disability, as well as my mom's tendency to talk during a movie, I can put the subtitles on too! I can't have anything with subtitles. If I do, I go insane.

Quote: Originally posted by Worst Nightmare From memory, weren't the studios looking at releasing a movie and the DVD at the same time? Haven't heard anything concrete concerning the major studios that hasn't already been discussed, but Steven Soderbergh plans on directing and releasing a few independent films in theaters and to DVD simultaneuously. The first of these films is entitled Bubble and was filmed along the border of Ohio and West Virginia.

Quote: Originally posted by -MFDOOM- You also have to take in consideration that times have changed. I remember back in the day you almost were forced to go to the movie theatre just because God know when the movie was going to come out on VHS. It sometimes would take years for it to happen. Nowdays, it's only a matter of months before the DVD comes out so it gives people the right to choose, do they really want to go a theatre or do they want to get the DVD which usually gives you behind the scenes, commentaries, bloopers, interviews and watch in the comfort of your own home. Most people will go will the latter option.

I agree. I like the dvd at home better than the cinema. Because of my small hearing disability, as well as my mom's tendency to talk during a movie, I can put the subtitles on too!

I hardly go to the cinema/theatres anymore. For starters, if I do go, it has to be either the earliest show or the latest show because otherwise you'll have to sit with some ignorant teens who just want to talk/yell/laugh really hard on purpose etc. Like Jonny "Me You" said, if they want better business, why not give us a few more reasons to go to the theatre besides the movie itself.

You also have to take in consideration that times have changed. I remember back in the day you almost were forced to go to the movie theatre just because God know when the movie was going to come out on VHS. It sometimes would take years for it to happen. Nowdays, it's only a matter of months before the DVD comes out so it gives people the right to choose, do they really want to go a theatre or do they want to get the DVD which usually gives you behind the scenes, commentaries, bloopers, interviews and watch in the comfort of your own home. Most people will go will the latter option.

Quote: Originally posted by Mark Lim I was wondering though, do you guys have cinemas where you can reserve your favourite seats in any particular auditorium.

Most of the cinemas I go to don't have seat reservations except when they know they'll be busy... or they have it but just say to go where you want. It's only the really busy ones like in London or at major shopping centres like the Metrocentre where they do reservations. I do like the new style cinemas that have appeared in the last decade... rather than huge slightly slanted auditoriums, they are small and heavily slanted with comfortable seats.

I guess we Aussies are lucky. Cinema staff do clean up after each screenings, they even usher you to your seat in case you can't find it. I'm happy that I can now buy coke and popcorn from the supermarket and take them in. No dramas or dispute from cinema staff.

Quote: Originally posted by Mark Lim I was wondering though, do you guys have cinemas where you can reserve your favourite seats in any particular auditorium.

No. You're lucky to get a seat that isn't broken or covered in sticky goo usually. No Beer, or anything else you mentioned either. In fact, often you're lucky if the staff clean up the garbage from the previous crowd.

We do have similar problems with the cinemas here in Sydney, Australia. There is only three cinemas that offer the really good stuff - leather seat recliners, finger foods, wine/beers, etc. Of course they are really expensive too. As reported earlier in a different post, ticket prices are still cheap at A$8-10 any day of the week for the month of August. I was wondering though, do you guys have cinemas where you can reserve your favourite seats in any particular auditorium. It's becoming a trend here. And popcorns that tastes different from different chains. There is one chain here that, although their screens are bigger than the one I go to, their popcorns are a disgrace! too salty! I haven't experienced people who have mobile phones in, but people who talk during the movie, or who bring their babies in!! Now there are screenings specifically for parents with kids. Great move! Oh, and now both cinema chains - Greater Union and Hoyts let you bring in your own popcorns, soft drinks, etc without buying from them.

Quote: Originally posted by Ken Murray The major theatre chains can't figure it out: a lot of people don't go to the movies because it is so expensive and you don't get a lot out of it. Look at it like this: you can go to the theatre, see a movie on a big screen, sit in a moderately comfortable seat, eat overly salty popcorn and overpriced boxes of candy while drinking pop that has far too much ice in it, with an obnoxious talker a few rows back, a wild 8 year-old kid six seats to your left, a cell phone talker in front of you, a date couple making out to your right, and a couple of high school girls that couldn't finish their conversation outside talking about what so and so did with such and such sitting behind you and talking throughout the entire movie. And oh yeah, you have to shell out ten bucks for a ticket, and at least that much for refreshments. You can do that, or go buy/rent a DVD, watch it in the quiet and comfort of your home, with a can (or glass) of pop, popcorn popped in your microwave, maybe a box of candy you picked up earlier, and you can get up and let life intervene and not miss any of the movie. That costs significantly less. If a theatre chain would just have the guts to lower ticket and refreshment costs, as well as throw out people disobeying the general "moviegoing code of conduct," and spending the extra money to make seats more comfortable. It's not like they have to cram in as many people as possible for a show of Red Eye, so make the auditoriums smaller, and when a big movie like Star Wars shows up, show it on several screens. But they're so concerned with the "slump" that they can't realize that it's their own mistakes that have caused lower receipts. You're right Ken. I do that too but that's only with big budget films that is to be big box office hits.

The major theatre chains can't figure it out: a lot of people don't go to the movies because it is so expensive and you don't get a lot out of it. Look at it like this: you can go to the theatre, see a movie on a big screen, sit in a moderately comfortable seat, eat overly salty popcorn and overpriced boxes of candy while drinking pop that has far too much ice in it, with an obnoxious talker a few rows back, a wild 8 year-old kid six seats to your left, a cell phone talker in front of you, a date couple making out to your right, and a couple of high school girls that couldn't finish their conversation outside talking about what so and so did with such and such sitting behind you and talking throughout the entire movie. And oh yeah, you have to shell out ten bucks for a ticket, and at least that much for refreshments. You can do that, or go buy/rent a DVD, watch it in the quiet and comfort of your home, with a can (or glass) of pop, popcorn popped in your microwave, maybe a box of candy you picked up earlier, and you can get up and let life intervene and not miss any of the movie. That costs significantly less. If a theatre chain would just have the guts to lower ticket and refreshment costs, as well as throw out people disobeying the general "moviegoing code of conduct," and spending the extra money to make seats more comfortable. It's not like they have to cram in as many people as possible for a show of Red Eye, so make the auditoriums smaller, and when a big movie like Star Wars shows up, show it on several screens. But they're so concerned with the "slump" that they can't realize that it's their own mistakes that have caused lower receipts.

The trend closest to me, is turning the local movie theater into the center of a mini-mall. There are lots of restaurants and shops outside the local AMC. Mind you most of them are garbage, but that seems to be the line of thinking - bring other things there and the people will show up.

It just doesn't work that way though, if the theater owners were serious about reforming their business they would totally re-do how they present a movie. Starting by either lowering prices, or providing some value for the insane dollar signs.

How about giving me a soft leather chair? Too expensive? reduce the number of seats in the theater. The typical theater only sells out once or twice a year anyhow. I've almost never seen a full one.

How about drinks in a glass? How about real drinks like beer in a glass?

How about a sit down restaurant in the theater complex with a waiter and everything? Souvenier shops with reasonably priced movie memoribillia and yes, DVD's? A night club? Personal Appearances by celebrities and personalities?

Studios should rotate premieres to cities all over the country. Hell, the theater chains could have bidding wars over it to attract new customers.

There are so many opportunities that are wasted by their lack of creativity.

At the moment I hardly go to the cinema (that's movie theatre for US people), maybe twice a year at most. There's too many negative points associated with the cinema compare to DVD. Also DVD has got me into less mainstream cinema, so there's very little that interests me any more. It's only when Sony own a distribution deal that we get to see stuff like House of Flying Daggers on a general release. Maybe I should start going to my local independant cinema, sounds like it could be less of machine than a multiplex.

I go to the cinema now more than I ever have, but I can see why a lot of people don't bother. It's just not an 'experience' any more.

When I was a kid, you strolled into your local (and by local I mean down the bottom of your street) cinema, bought your programme, hot dog, drinks etc., then were shown to your seats by an usher. You had the preview films before the main feature as well. It felt like a night out.

Now you go in, pay £6-£7 EACH to a surly teenager to sit in a a generic cinema, to watch a film projected by a monkey who just doesn't have a clue. Add to that the extortionate price of food and drink (£3 for a Coke? Fuck off), and you have a very expensive night out, especially if you multiply it by the size of the average family.

Add to this the fact that the vast majority of films released today are generic, formulaic shit that barely run for a week, and it's not hard to see why fewer people are going. Oh, I almost forgot to mention the teenagers who insist on talking/playing with mobile phones throughout the entirety of a film.

This year I've only seen two really decent films at the cinema, a handful of mediocre ones, and plenty of shite ones. But it's all the fault of DVD piracy, of course...

Quote: Originally posted by floyd dylan Hollywood should just start making good movies. Most of this years movies have been bombed, and I'm surprised the Island bombed the most. I thought that film would make what Mr. and Mrs. Smith made.

In light of the fact that box office $$$ has gone down and not many people going to see the movies at the cinemas as compared to previous years, perhaps it can be a good thing as in the movies we want to see, will be officially released on dvd sooner/ quicker rather than later. What do you think?